You Found Me
by laurenmicheelle
Summary: Meredith & Sadie are backpacking through Europe, drinking & sleeping with inappropriate men. Meredith meets Derek who isn't just a European hook-up. Meredith agrees to go on a date with him & she has the time of her life, their date is cut short when she gets a phone call from home with a family emergency and has to leave right away. What happens 4 years later when they meet again?
1. Inappropriate

**So this was originally going to be a one shot, but I thought I might drag it out for a couple of chapters. I always wondered what it would have been like if Meredith and Derek had met while she was backpacking through Europe. This is my second time trying to write a Grey's fanfic. Please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Inappropriate**

"Death, Death!" Sadie called a very drunken Meredith Grey over to introduce her to a very tall, dark and handsome man. They had been in Barcelona for two days and already had a wide variety of guy friends to show them all the fun places to hang out in the bustling city. Meredith and Sadie were into the second month of their European vacation and had only been sober for about 48 hours of it.

"What Die?" Meredith asked laughing as she came stumbling over to where Sadie and the mystery man were. The man was in the simplest terms HOT, Meredith found herself drooling over him almost immediately.

"This is Paulo." Sadie finally introduced the handsome Barcelona native.

"He wants to take you home." She very loudly whispered. Meredith who was on her umpteenth shot of tequila quickly obliged.

"Well let's go then Paulo," the girl giggled and followed him out of the bar.

Meredith woke up with a headache from hell. "Ugh, that's it no more drinking for me. Ever," Meredith groaned. This was only the hundredth 'never drinking again' declaration Meredith had made. She looked around the room and just as she had expected there was a naked man lying beside her, she quietly picked up her clothes and pulled them on. Meredith made a quick b-line for the door, once she was out of whatever it was his name was' apartment she found her cell and quickly called Sadie. (She was almost positive that Sadie woke up in the same predicament as her.) No answer.

"Damn it Sadie," Meredith cursed. She checked her pockets for her wallet but there was no sign of it, she must've left her purse with Sadie last night. So now she was alone in a foreign city with no wallet, no identification, no money, and about five percent left on her phone.

"Just great," Meredith sighed to herself.

"Having trouble?" a voice said from behind her. Meredith turned to face a man with a dark full head of hair and deep blue eyes she wanted to take a swim in.

"Uhm, uh, actually I was just─"

"You were just lost," the man cut her off.

"Well, yes. But I'm sure I can find my way back to wherever it is I need to be. Thank you for your concern though." She said flashing him a smile and quickly turning to walk the other way.

"Let me help you find 'wherever it is you need to be'" the man said using his fingers to air quote Meredith's words.

"I'm sorry, but you don't have an accent," Meredith pointed out, "which means you're most likely American, so I doubt you can help me."

"I may be American, but I do have a summer home here where I spend the majority of my summers, I'm sure I could help you out," the man offered.

"Look you don't know me and I don't know you, but you can stop this friendly stranger façade you have going on, we both know all you want is to get me drunk, take advantage of me, and get into my pants." Meredith admitted sternly.

"First off, it's not a façade. I am a friendly stranger. Second, who said anything about me wanting to get into your pants? I was just trying to help you out, you look like you needed it. Third, I'm Derek, and you are?" The handsome man, now known as Derek grinned and put out his hand.

Meredith reluctantly reached out and shook it, "Meredith," she smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Meredith. Now that we know each other, are you going let me help you find wherever it is you're supposed to be, or are you still convinced I only want to get you drunk and take advantage?" Derek smirked.

Meredith eyed the friendly stranger, and while he was rather hot she still wasn't sure she should let him help her. I mean she had read all kinds of articles about trafficking of women in foreign countries. But she was still a bit drunk from the night before, and Derek's award winning smile clouded her thinking, so against better judgment she decided to let Derek help her.

"Fine, you can help me, but no funny business!" She joked, with a wave of her finger.

"I promise," Derek held up his right hand like he was taking a sacred oath.

Derek and Meredith walked along the streets of Barcelona together joking and laughing. Hours had passed and Meredith still hadn't found the motel she had been staying at. However, she didn't seem to mind much, because Derek's company was a lot better than bar hopping with Sadie.

"So what brings you to Barcelona?" Derek asked.

"I'm backpacking through Europe with a friend, and the fact that I hate my mother." Meredith admitted.

"Oh, mommy issues?" He joked.

"Yeah we can't all have perfect lives with European summer homes." She fired back; Meredith knew how to hold her own, if someone made a joke to her she shot back.

"Hey! I never admitted to being perfect or to having a perfect life," Derek said defensive.

"Sorry─ Oh look! That's my motel!" Meredith exclaimed. A look of excitement flashed across her face. "Well Derek this has been nice, but I need to go in and get cleaned up. Thank you for all your, uh, help?" She smiled and started to run off into the direction of the drab motel she had been calling home for the past two days.

"Meredith, wait" Derek called after her gently reaching for her arm. Meredith turned to look at him, a bit confused. "Have dinner with me." He demanded softly.

"I just met you," a stunned Meredith replied.

"Please. Just have dinner with me." Derek tried again.

"Uh, I don't─"

"I'll pick you up around 8, right in front of this motel, be ready." Derek smirked and with that he turned back in the direction of his summer home.

Meredith smiled to herself. She knew better than to trust strangers, but something in her really wanted to trust Derek. He was kind of perfect. Okay, he was extremely perfect.


	2. Perfect

**Perfect**

Meredith began running around the mess of a motel her and Sadie had been sharing for the past two days. Flinging clothes here and there, Meredith didn't care if she disturbed Sadie's beauty sleep or not. All she cared about is finding the perfect outfit to wear for her dinner with Derek. Meredith tried convincing herself that she wasn't even the slightest bit interested in this date─ no, dinner. She wasn't interested in this dinner. Her actions however showed differently.

"Death, what are you doing?" a groggy Sadie asked. "There's still light outside, what's with all this racket?"

"I got asked to dinner, I'm just trying to find something to wear," Meredith replied nonchalantly.

"Dinner? Like a date? I thought we had a rule no dates with the hot European boys, just drunken sex!"

"He's not a European boy, he's uh, American" Meredith giggled.

"Oh God, Death, that's even worse."

Meredith really didn't care that her friend disapproved. Sadie wasn't the best role model anyways and Meredith always went with her instinct despite others opinions. She was going to do what she wanted to do no matter what. And what she really wanted was this dinner with Derek. She had spent all morning laughing and walking the streets of Barcelona with him, she only imagined how their dinner would go. Meredith smiled at the thought of it. She couldn't wait to be sitting across a table with Derek sharing French bread and stealing each other's glances.

* * *

"While you're out making heart eyes with your American boy, I will be having a night on the town with all the European boys I could ever need." Sadie called to Meredith who was fixing her face in the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah," Meredith waved off, "we'll see who had a better night tomorrow when you're throwing up all morning, Die." She laughed.

"As my mother always said 'a morning of vomit means that your night was done right!'" Sadie near shouted. Meredith laughed in reply.

A few seconds later Meredith came out of the small motel restroom and twirled around. "How do I look?" She asked in anticipation.

Sadie's eyes bulged open and her jaw dropped to the floor. "Death!" She gushed. "Wow, you clean up nice!"

"You really think so?" Meredith grinned.

"Hell yeah, you're gonna blow that American boy away."

Meredith was dressed to kill in a chic red blouse with a neckline that left very little to the imagination and a black skin tight skirt, she borrowed from Sadie, that barely reached her knees. Five inch black strappy heels completed her ensemble. Meredith felt out of her comfort zone but with Sadie's words of encouragement, confidence began to build up in her. She was ready for this dinner. Now all she had to do was wait for Derek.

* * *

Meredith checked her watch, a quarter till eight, she decided she better make her way outside. She grabbed all her essentials, including phone, wallet, and lipstick, and quickly bid goodbye to Sadie. "Don't wait up," she said with a wink, and with that she was out the door.

Meredith walked out to find Derek standing there on the busy Barcelona street right outside her motel. He was dressed in what seemed to be his nicest attire. Once she was in full view, his eyes roamed her entire body from head to toe. He had never seen anyone more beautiful.

"You showed," he grinned taking the lady by the hand.

"What? You doubted me Derek? I don't believe you," Meredith put on her best act.

"Meredith─ I… I … I don't know wh─" Derek began.

"Derek, stop!" Meredith cut him off, "I'm only joking with you."She said laughing. An infectious smile spread across her face knowing she had just made Derek sweat.

"And to think I had this big fancy date planned, maybe I should just go home…" Derek sighed.

"Oh stop being over dramatic and let's go," Meredith rolled her eyes.

* * *

Derek took Meredith's hand and guided her down the street to a panoramic bar called Mirablau, it was said to have the best view of the city's skyline. Meredith was in awe as she looked over the beautiful scenery. She visited a handful of bars while she was in Barcelona, but none of them quite compare to this.

"Derek this is beautiful," Meredith gushed in amazement. She had never seen anything like it before.

"It sure is. May just be the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He said staring at her.

"Are you trying to make a pass at me?" Meredith turned on her heels in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, its just that─ it's so hard not to." Derek grinned so big it hurt Meredith's cheeks.

Meredith scolded him with her eyes and he agreed to let off on the flirting just a tad. Meredith and Derek had a few drinks as they took in the view of beautiful Barcelona. It was truly breathtaking, but Derek knew they would have to leave soon if he wanted to stay on schedule with his plans. The moment Meredith finished her drink he grabbed her hand and dragged her to their next stop. Meredith was a bit confused when she found herself at a moped rental store.

"What are we doing?" She asked.

"Going for a ride," Derek smirked.

He tossed her a helmet and motioned for to get on behind her. She quickly obliged despite her concern.

"Hold on tight," he commanded when Meredith climbed on behind him.

He took her on the ride of her life and she didn't even have to get undressed for it. Meredith loved thrills and the moped ride with Derek was definitely a thrill. They zoomed up and down the streets of Barcelona, wind blowing through each of their hairs, adrenaline pumping through their veins.

"Holy crap," Meredith screeched once the ride was over.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked concerned.

"That was exhilarating, it was such a high. I don't know why anyone would ever want to do drugs." Meredith gushed.

"You think that was a high? You should try surgery." Derek admitted.

"Ha, my mother would have a ball if she heard you say that. Apparently I don't have what it takes to be a surgeon. I don't even have what it takes to make it through medical school." Meredith's eyes went dark at the mention of her mother. Derek wanted very much to ask her about it but decided against.

"Wait," Meredith started, "you're a surgeon?"

Derek smiled, "yeah something like that." He laughed.

"Dr. Derek, huh?" Meredith smiled. "It has a nice ring to it."

"Try Dr. Derek Shepherd, neurosurgeon. That has an even better ring" Derek smiled proudly, his ego getting bigger with every second.

"Oh God, let's stop right there before your head gets so big it falls off," Meredith laughed.

"Okay fine, let's get to our next activity shall we?"

Derek once again took Meredith's hand and guided her to their next destination. The two walked hand in hand down Las Ramblas, Barcelona's main street. They encountered all kinds of street performers and live entertainment. When a street vendor selling roses asked Derek if he wanted to buy a rose for the lovely lady he quickly jumped on the opportunity. The night had been going just as Derek planned, perfect. Meredith looked like she was having the time of her life. Derek could not stop staring at the permanent smile that had been plastered on her face for the majority of the night.

* * *

"One last activity before you can go back to your lovely hotel," Derek joked.

"Very funny. What is this last activity exactly?" Meredith raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see," Derek said waving for a taxi.

He gave the driver directions and said something else Meredith couldn't quite understand. Before she knew it they were being dropped off at the beach. The taxi driver got out and opened up the trunk of the cab. He pulled out a picnic basket, blanket, and a bottle of wine and handed it to Derek.

Meredith laughed, "oh really? A picnic on the beach, how cliché." She joked.

"You love it," Derek poked at her, "now come on."

He laid out the blanket and sat down pulling Meredith down beside him. He poured them each a glass of wine and put up his glass for a toast.

"To a beautiful night in Barcelona," he declared.

"A beautiful night indeed." Meredith agreed.

They sat for a moment content with each others' silence. The world seemed to stop as they stared in to each others' eyes. Nothing else mattered in that moment except for Derek and Meredith. Gravity brought their faces closer to one another as the space between them closed. Neither one ever lost lock of the other. Their lips crashed together and sparks flew immediately. Passion pumped through the both of them as Derek began to make his move. Just as he hovered above her, Meredith's phone rang, pulling them from their trance.

"Hello?" She answered,

"Yes, is this Meredith Grey?" The voice on the other end questioned.

"Yes, this is her."

"I have news regarding your mother."

"Okay?"

"She has early onset Alzheimer's."

Meredith gasped, dropping her phone.

"I'm sorry Derek, I have to go!" Meredith said, a hint of panic in her voice.

"Go where?" Derek asked concerned.

"Home. I'm sorry─ I'm so sorry." She cried as she ran down the beach to get back to where the taxi cab was.

Derek sat there on the beach dumbfounded. _Home_? He thought to himself.

* * *

**Please review! I'd love to know what you think!**


	3. Unexpected

**Author's Note- This is where the story jumps a little, bear with me. I'm going to try to follow the story line of Grey's as much as I can. I'm sorry this has taken awhile to get out, I just moved into my dorm and I've been busy with stuff for school. I'm going to try posting every week but since school is starting I'm not going to make any promises, try to be patient with me, please! Also I never did a disclaimer so here: ****_I do not own anything Grey's Anatomy. _****Enjoy! And please review!**

* * *

**Unexpected**

**_Four Years Later_**

Meredith had just finished medical school, (she finally had incentive to go with her mother's disease and all) she was getting ready to start her internship at Seattle Grace Hospital, one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. The hospital was hosting an intern mixer for all the incoming interns and Meredith was having a mental breakdown trying to get ready for it. Clothes were being flung from boxes all over the living room floor of her house, no, her mother's house. She had just moved back to Seattle and didn't feel the need to unpack. She wasn't planning on staying in this house for long anyways. There were way too many memories. Unwanted memories.

"Stupid intern mixer, stupid internship, stupid hospital, stupid job," Meredith cursed.

She hated organized parties, she hated being forced to mingle with people, she hated it all. The only part she had been excited about was the free booze. That she loved. Meredith prayed the alcohol at this mixer made it all just a little bit more interesting than it had sounded.

* * *

Meredith had been at the intern mixer for a good hour now; she mixed and mingled, met some of her new coworkers, and now she felt it was her time to sneak out the door. She slowly and discretely made her way to the exit, but before she could get halfway she was stopped by a short, dark haired guy.

"I'm George," the man extended his hand.

Meredith fake smiled, "Meredith," she reached for George's hand.

"Nice to meet you," He smiled, "So what program are you in?"

"Surgery," Meredith responded seemingly uninterested in finishing this conversation.

"Wow! Me too; isn't this cool? A mixer for all the interns? I think its pretty coo─"

"Will you excuse me? There's somewhere I need to be." She cut George short, walking away before he could say anything else.

On her way into the hospital earlier that evening Meredith spotted a bar across the street, Emerald City Bar, or something. She really needed a drink, another one. Away from the hospital and her new bosses and coworkers. She needed to be at a bar top drinking tequila and preparing herself mentally for her first day of work.

"Tequila, straight, please," Meredith ordered from the bartender, Joe.

"Straight tequila, really? You are going to be sorry in the morning," Joe smirked.

"I'm always sorry in the morning, but tomorrow I start my first day of work, so keep them coming." Meredith laughed.

Meredith sat at the bar for the rest of the night drinking her tequila, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been staring at her. After about an hour she decided to call it a night and leave, on her way out of the bar she looked around to see if anyone was watching her as she left, but she didn't notice anybody. _Must've just been a funny feeling_, she thought to herself.

* * *

_Beep, beep, beep!_ Meredith's alarm sounded. Without hesitation she pressed snooze. An extra five minutes of sleep couldn't hurt, could they? Thirty minutes later she awoke and looked at the clock, 5:30 a.m.

"CRAP!" she cursed, "My first day, and I'm going to be late. How does someone oversleep on their first day?!"

Meredith didn't even bother showering, she put on whatever clothes she could find first, brushed her teeth and hair, and was out the door. She sped through the streets of Seattle racing to get to Seattle Grace. "I cannot believe I overslept!" Meredith screamed. When she reached the hospital she pulled into the first parking space she could find and ran into the hospital and up the stairs to the surgical floor. The Chief of Surgery Dr. Webber was giving the new interns a motivational speech; she slipped through the door just in time to hear the end of it.

"Each of you comes here today hopeful, wanting in on the game. A month ago you were in med school being taught by doctors, today, you are the doctors. The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the best and worst of your lives. You will be pushed to the breaking point."

Meredith looked around the OR and found many familiar faces from the night before. She examined the room she had longed to be in the most. This was her home. This is where she felt the most comfortable. She also felt like she had no clue what she was getting herself into.

"Look around you, say hello to your competition," Chief Webber continued, "eight of you will switch to an easier specialty, five of you will crack under pressure, two of you will be asked to leave. This is your starting line. This is you arena. How well you play? That's up to you."

Meredith looked around the familiar faces she had seen the night before. These people were her coworkers, her competition. She began to feel the pressure. She thought she was screwed. Meredith made her way to the locker room so she change into scrubs and start her first forty-eight hour shift. She had Dr. Bailey as her resident, or as others called her "The Nazi," The toughest resident in the hospital. Bailey went through her five rules, and right when she finished she was paged 911 for an emergent patient. Katie Bryce had been admitted for having multiple seizures; Dr. Bailey put Meredith on the case.

* * *

Meredith in charge of a fifteen year old girl with seizures on her first day was not expected, but she dealt with it. It was better than being stuck with rectal exams like Izzie, another intern. Katie Bryce's parents had questions; Meredith asked Bailey who the parents could talk to.

"Do you talk to them or do I get Dr. Burke?" Meredith asked.

"No, talk to Dr. Shepherd, he's the attending on her case now. He's right over there." Bailey pointed to a corner were three men were talking, one man that happened to look very familiar.

When their eyes met the attraction from that one night in Barcelona started up all over again. Meredith quickly ran out the door. This could not be happening. Didn't Derek─ Dr. Shepherd live in New York?

"Meredith!" Derek called from down the hall.

"What Dr. Shepherd?"

"Dr. Shepherd? Did you forget my name, really?" Derek flashed his award winning smile.

"Derek!" Meredith whisper shouted, "We can't know each other. I mean not the way we _know _each other."

"You know I thought I had seen you at the bar across the street the other night, but I thought maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me. Guess it wasn't." Derek smirked giving Meredith dreamy eyes.

"You can't look at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you want to see me naked."

"But what if I do?"

"Stop!"

Meredith turned to walk away but Derek grabbed her shoulder. There was no way he was letting her leave him again. She walked away from him once, and to him that was enough.

"Go to dinner with me," Derek stared Meredith deep in the eyes, "let's finish our date the way we should've in Barcelona."

Meredith just stared. She knew this was wrong. He was her boss. Her attending. She couldn't go on a date with him. If anyone in the hospital found out it would destroy her. But there was something in her that wanted to say yes, he was just so dreamy, and perfect, and gorgeous, and his hair, oh his hair.

"So?" Derek interrupted her train of thought.

"I─ Uh, you're my attending."

"And?" He questioned.

"It's wron─" before she could finish her sentence, Derek pressed his lips against hers. Their lips moved in sync with one another like a world class dance team. The kiss was passionate like nothing could tear them apart─ except for a Meredith's pager.

"911 Katie Bryce!" She yelled pulling away and running to the young girl's room.

Derek wasn't far behind when Meredith reached Katie's room. She was seizing and her pressure was dropping Meredith and Derek called out drug orders to the nurse simultaneously. They were still moving in sync even while working.

* * *

"Nice job in there," Derek congratulated Meredith, "you really knew what to do."

"Thanks," Meredith let out a breath of relief. She had actually done well.

"Now how about that date?" Derek smirked.


End file.
